Governor's accountability speech accepted

JAKARTA (JP): The City Council accepted on Monday Governor Sutiyoso's accountability speech and approved the city budget for the 2000 administrative year.

In a closed ballot, 70 councillors voted to accept the governor's speech, eight rejected the speech and one councillor abstained. Four councillors were not present for the ballot.

The decision to use a closed ballot was taken after the council leadership discussed the council factions' views of Sutiyoso's accountability speech earlier in the day.

Eight factions accepted the governor's speech, two rejected the speech and the remaining faction abstained.

The factions which approved the governor's speech were the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan), the United Development Party (PPP), the National Mandate Party (PAN), the Golkar Party, the Indonesian Military/National Police, the National Awakening Party (PKB), the Crescent Star Party (PBB) and The Unity in Diversity Party (PBI).

The Justice Party (PK) and the Unity Party (PP) rejected the speech, while the Justice and Unity Party (PKP) failed to come down firmly on either side of the issue.

Through its spokesman Ahmad Heryawan, the Justice Party expressed its concern with security and order in the capital, which it claimed showed no signs of improvement.

The party, which has four representatives on the council, criticized city-owned companies for failing to do their part to increase the city's revenue.

"Based on the principles of justice and fairness, we cannot accept the governor's accountability speech or the 2000 city budget," Heryawan said.

The sole representative of the Unity Party on the council, Muhamad Banang, said the governor had failed to end corruption, uphold the law and improve security in the capital.

"The governor's performance has been unsatisfactory, so our faction rejects his accountability speech," Banang said.

The Justice and Unity Party's lone councillor, Posman Siahaan, said there were holes in the governor's performance, such as rampant corruption in his administration.

"We hope in the future the governor will be more alert and improve his performance," Posman said.

The four major factions in the council -- PDI Perjuangan, PAN, PPP and Golkar -- accepted Sutiyoso's accountability speech, although they urged the governor to improve his record.

PDI Perjuangan, which controls 30 seats in the council, urged Sutiyoso to improve such public services as the issuance of identity cards and building permits.

Other factions, including PPP and PAN, praised Sutiyoso for having made significant improvements from the time of his last accountability speech.

Following the plenary session, Sutiyoso expressed his gratitude to the councillors for accepting his accountability speech, which was delivered last month.

"If it had been rejected, I would have been given one month to improve my performance ... it would have been a waste of time," the governor said.

Observers predicted the council would accept the governor's speech following a meeting the councillors held with high-ranking city officials at a city-owned hotel in Puncak, Bogor, West Java, in the middle of April to discuss the speech.

Another meeting was held at the Hotel Horison in Ancol, North Jakarta, last week to "synchronize" the councillors' view of the speech.

Some observers criticized the councillors for holding the meetings outside the council building on Jl. Kebon Sirih in Central Jakarta. (jun)